Serpents and Lions
by GoddessApostle
Summary: Once upon a time, a King was betrayed. Once upon a time, a Queen ad her husband were slain. Once upon a time, a Princess found her parents' corpses, still warm with life, and ran. She ran away, so fast and so far, nothing could catch her. Nothing except a dream. ((Kacchako, Slow Burn, Pirate/Mermaid/Royal AU))
1. Chapter 1

She met him for the first time when she was six, out on a boat in the ocean.

"You have fluffy hair," she said, "and shiny eyes."

"I know," he replied, puffing up with pride. "Bright as fire coral, my ma always says."

"I would say garnets, but they're so dark, and your eyes are bright; and I don't want to say 'ruby eyes' because it sounds like something from one of my mommy's grown-up books." Ochako scrunched her face. "I don't like those books."

The boy scoffs. "How would you know what rubies look like? They're very rare."

"Oh that's easy! Mommy and Daddy teach me when I cry, so I know about lots of gemstones! We even wear them!" She dug underneath the neck her tunic and pulled off the amulet she always wore. It was a pretty, shiny thing, with a long and wide ribbon, meant to be worn by someone much older than she was now, but she would grow into it. Her family crest was in the center, surrounded by jewels and gems of all sorts. She pointed to one of the stones laid near the top. "That one's the ruby, and here's a garnet."

The boy tilted his head. "Looks fancy. Usually I only find something like that at the bottom of the sea."

Ochako tilted her head. "Really? At the bottom?" The boy nodded, puffing his chest out even more, a _very_ self-satisfied smile on his face. "How do you hold your breath that long?"

"What? I don't. I just breathe, like everyone else I know."

"I don't breathe underwater."

"'Course not. You're human."

Crossing her arms, Ochako pouted. "And what are you that makes you so special?"

The boy grinned, his face splitting wide open, and he slipped under the water. Ochako worried for a second, but then he jumped into the air, startling the life out of her and the amulet out of her hand. He was too fast for whatever he tried to show off, too. She only caught a glimpse of red before he fell beneath the water again.

He came up, eyes sparkling. "Did you see?" he asked excitedly. "Pretty, huh?"

"No I did not!" Ochako yelled, palm to her chest, eyes scanning the water. "You made me drop the my necklace!"

"Oh, I can find it!" the boy said, and he disappeared beneath the waves again.

Ochako wanted to stay, to collect her lost heirloom, and she stayed for as long as she could. Which turned out to be not a very long time at all, since her nanny found her mere moments later and dragged her back to her home.

* * *

No one ever believed Ochako about the boy. They said no one could get in without the guards knowing. They had such a private beach, her parents said, and the gate that cut through the water stopped even small children from swimming through. That didn't stop her from returning every day for the next two months, trying to find proof of his existence.

Proof she never found, except for her missing amulet.

The more she reflected on it, though, the more she herself began to doubt it. She always set thoughts of the boy to the back of her mind when it frustrated her, and instead focused on her studies. It wasn't long before he was a mere wisp of a memory, a dream she decided she had confused for reality, and her amulet lost due to her own clumsiness.

She worked hard from that day forward, ready to follow in her parents' footsteps.

* * *

Ochako runs, her feet bare and bleeding. Her eyes sting, her entire face stings in the cold. Her breath whips by her in white clouds. Her only comfort in the winter night is the coat she wears, though it does little to keep her warm. It still comforts her, though, and she'll treasure it for the rest of her life.

The coat belonged to her father, after all, and it was the only thing she recovered that wasn't soaked in his blood.

The memories rise up again, bringing with them bile that she swallows back down. She has no time to spit it up, no time to stop and rest, no time to even think beyond escape. Hooves thunder along the path behind her, and she _has_ to reach the beach soon—all other exits are guarded, and there are boats out there, boats that can carry her to safety and away from…

From home. She almost turns back, almost faces her pursuers, but the glint of steel in the dark of night unnerves her, scares her to her core, so she keeps running.

Her feet barely meet the sand when she reaches the beach, but then they catch up to her. The horses surround her, masked riders staring down from their steeds. The ringleader moves forward, hopping from his horse to approach her on even ground. He stands between her and the water, and her eyes glance behind him longingly.

"Come now, Princess," the man says in a voice sweet as honey. He removes his mask, and she sucks in a startled breath when she sees his face. It was one she last saw years ago, after all–the face of a dead man.

Standing before her, holding an enemy nation's mask, with freshly healed scars cutting across his cheeks, her uncle stares her down. General Shin of the Hysa kingdom's army, thought to have fallen in battle two years ago, stands before her. His face is stretched into a mockery of its former charming smile, and he extends a hand to her, his voice soothing.

"There is much to discuss," he says, "and I know you must be tired. But it can wait for the morning. Surely you want to return to your bed and sleep?"

She's tired, of course. Who wouldn't be after the death ( _murder_ , she corrects herself) of their parents and a run for their life? All she wants to do is cry, to mourn, to curl into a ball and disappear to where her parents are now. The pull is so strong, so incredibly powerful she begins to do so–her arms fold around herself, clawing at her own shoulders to keep herself together, and her knees tremble under the weight of her and her grief. Her eyes well with tears, and she lets one fall–a diamond droplet that lands among the sand at her feet.

But then she hears it–a soft song that shakes her hunched form. It's hauntingly beautiful, a melody that wraps around her mind, a lullaby that soothes her aching heart, and under its guidance she stands tall and glares.

Shin frowns, unaffected by the phantom voice that gives her strength. And of course he wouldn't hear it; it's a Gift–the very last her parents will ever give her. Only Ochako can hear it.

"Fine." Shin pulls a knife from his hip and throws it to the ground in front of her. "I'm an honorable man. I'll let you fight, and if you survive, you're free to go." His voice lightens.

"Let it be known that I'm giving you a chance, Princess. I will give you what freedom I can if you come willingly. But should you choose to fight and lose, you will be nothing more than a prisoner." His eyes are bright enough to burn straight through her, now. He extends his hand. "The choice is yours. Come with me, and live as lavishly as before, or…" he nods toward the knife, "take the blade, Princess, and prove whether your will is strong enough."

She knows better, though. The freedom Shin offered wouldn't really be free. It would come with feather-light chains and invisible fences. She would be no better than a flower in a greenhouse, some… _thing_ to be marveled at out of place, out of season.

Ochako kneels, her eyes never leaving his. Her fingers grasp the cool leather of the grip. She takes a deep breath, and with a hand clutched to her chest, she stands again.

Shin drops his hand when he drops his smile, and a sneer tugs at his lips. "You won't budge, then?" he asks her, and hiding amongst his words lies a promise of pain.

Still, she only glares, drawing her lip into a tight line.

Shin waves his hand, some military signal she doesn't know. The men on horseback ride in circles around her, and she hears the sound of blades being pulled from scabbards. Shin mounts his horse again and steps back, calling orders to his guards.

They want her alive, that much is clear.

She refuses to let that happen.

But that means her only other option is death. The entire ocean is before her, the sounds of waves a constant background noise. Drowning is a scary, painful way to go, she knows. It would be so hard to stay down until her breath ran out, and even then Shin could just send his men after her. But she knows they won't follow.

It's damn near the dead of winter. The water is cold enough to kill.

She steels herself, her mind made up. The knife weighs heavy in her hand, and as the horses circle her, she sees a path amidst the cackling men and the dancing blades. She sucks in one last breath, and then she runs, her teeth bared and fists tight.

The snow and the sand make for poor footing, and she slips more than once. But she doesn't fall, doesn't allow herself to fall.

When she reaches the line of men, she hits the ground and slides. She lashes out with the knife, slashing at the ankles of the horses, and rolls back on her feet before they can fall. It hurts her, of course, when she hears the snap of broken bones, to have harmed the horses in such a cruel way, sure they'd be killed later because of her. It was never their fault, they weren't in control of their actions, but she had no other choice.

She can only offer a silent apology as she runs. She's sure to beat them to the afterlife, after all.

Her breath whips past her once again, sliding from rosy lips and over winter-red cheeks. Her feet sting in the way that comes with cold, where nerves are more sensitive and tingles run along her legs.

Her uncle shouts orders to his men, but she ignores it. She focuses on the world before her, the chaos behind her mere background noise for the last few moments of her life. The sand beneath her changes abruptly to the wooden planks of the boat dock, and she can't tell if it's her weight making the boards creak or if she's hearing bowstrings being drawn.

It's an all-out sprint to the finish, to reach the water before they can reach her. Her legs and her lungs burn, and fire blooms across her back, but adrenaline tells her to ignore the pain, to run for her life, no matter how soon it may end.

Before she realizes it, she's airborne, her nightgown billowing in the wind, her father's jacket flaring like a cape behind her. Her eyes widen as the water rushes towards her, and she takes an involuntary breath to hold, as though her body has hopes of survival separate from her mind.

It was a futile hope, of course. The thin ice cracks beneath her heels, and the cold water engulfs her, shocking the air from her lungs in a woosh of bubbles. It's through some miracle that she even has the tiniest bit left at the very bottom of her lungs.

She floats for a moment, suspended by cold numbness. Then like magic, her clothes absorb water and sink, dragging her into the darkness below. She shuts her eyes, hoping to pass out before she feels any more pain.


	2. Chapter 2

He always thought Tsuyu was more frog than human. She had big eyes and big hands and a flat, monotonous voice, like she never quite learned to emote properly. Her hair shone green in most light, and even her skin seemed to take on the slightest tint of green in his room.

That was probably more because of the luminescent algae than any potential frog-curse or whatever.

She was the one that suggested their next target.

"That's the Hydra," Tsuyu said, surveying the coastline. Katsuki joined her near the window and watched the rocky cliffs roll by. "We could start investigating."

"Hysa has nothing to offer," he told her. "Nothing but cotton and rocks."

"And untold riches," Jirou countered, "the king and his family never go hungry. Must be sitting pretty on a pile of his people's gold." She eyed the castle in the distance, fiddling with her ear. "I say we check it out."

Tsuyu nodded. "I'll take it up with Aizawa." She turned to leave, but paused at the door. "Start the investigation, though. Jirou, you take Kirishima and Izuku to town. Tell Kaminari to check up above. Bakugou–"

"Save it, frog face. I'm going." Sliding into the water, he smirked back at them. "Besides, I got a way right to the castle."

* * *

It takes longer than he remembers to get to the private beach.

Not because he came from the other side of the island, no–he expected it to be well after sunset when he reached the gate. But the tunnel he used before was smaller than he remembered, or perhaps it was the same and _he's_ the one that got bigger.

It didn't matter, really. He'd just blow a hole in it if he didn't fit. But he does fit, just barely, with about an inch of clearance on all sides.

It does amuse him, though, that such a heavily guarded place would have holes running all through it. The wall was built into the sandbar, and the gate rolled out of it, only allowing enough space at the bottom for small ships to get through. Guards patrolled in half-hour intervals, protecting against any potential threats from inside or out.

The only thing left unguarded were the tunnels beneath it. They were vents, to be more accurate, to let water flow in and out. Most of them were barred off, but there were three that weren't–they were deep enough that no human could get through in a single breath, though, not without proper equipment. They were escape holes, most likely. All castles had hidden hallways and secret escapes for the royalty to flee. There was probably diving equipment hidden in the wall somewhere.

Katsuki finally reaches the end of the tunnel and enters the private waters. He's cautious, of course, because he didn't bother to wait until the next guards passed to investigate. His first objective was just to see if the rest of his crew could make it through the gate if needed, and that was, for the most part, a yes. They'd need down-stuffed dive suits and a source of oxygen, but they could make it.

His second task is to find the castle's hidden stash of what's sure to be top-quality equipment–something that could be sold for a high price. He swims along the wall, feeling for any seams or latches. He swims one way, then the other, then up and down and all over, but nothing catches his attention–if there is a secret in the wall, it's hidden above the water.

That's fine. There are plenty of boat docks to hide under. He swims to the closest one, keeping his eyes on the water above him. Caution doesn't really matter, he thinks, because the ice on the surface is thick enough to hide his form. It wouldn't hide his _color_ completely, but there are fires on the beach, and for anyone looking from above, he's just a reflection.

He darts beneath the dock, and calling upon his Gift, sets a hand against the ice. It melts away, gentler than his normal bursts because if there's fire on the beach, it means someone's out there.

He has no idea _why_ there are humans out on the beach in the dead of night, but he also doesn't care. They won't notice him. All he needs is to be quiet and covert.

It's a goal that shatters when the ice next to him does.

If he'd been more aware, it might've been obvious. The planks above him vibrated with sudden movement, jostling with weight that was there one moment and gone the next.

But no, with all his attention on his Gift, slowly widening the hole that he'd made, the ice startled him when it cracked. Which broke his concentration, which caused his hands to explode on their own–a sound that was hopefully hidden under the crack of the ice.

He turns to the source of the disturbance, expletives spilling from his mouth like an overturned cup despite the lack of audience–because of course no one could hear him underwater, and it irks him enough to consider ignoring the fool who jumped into the freezing cold ocean. But his morals win out in the end, so he swims toward them.

But then he stops to take in what he's seeing.

Floating before him, with her eyes squeezed shut and her hair flowing in an invisible current, is a girl, no older than him. That's not what makes him pause, though. It's the arrow sticking out of her shoulder that stops him.

He moves behind her and wraps an arm around her waist, and it surprises him when she grabs it–it's a feeble grip, but one that feels like she's trying to dig her nails into his skin.

He swims up, hand extended for balance, and when he gets beneath the dock he melts the ice that formed while he was gone. He pulls the girl above the water, still hidden beneath the dock, and covers her mouth when she gasps for air. Yes, she's starving for air, she's been under a good minute or so, but he's smart enough to know that she shouldn't make a sound.

If this girl–in nothing but a light jacket and nightgown, with an arrow sticking out of her shoulder–was desperate enough to risk her life to escape, it must be from something truly horrible.

Ormaybe, he thinks as she begins thrashing in his hold, she was counting on that risk to _end_ her life.

Because she's biting him now, and kicking her feet, as though she wants him to let her go and die freezing cold. But he's Katsuki Bakugou, and he hardly ever does things according to other people's wants. So he just clamps down tighter on her, and focuses on his Gift to keep her warm like it does him, and he whispers in her ear.

"If you die, they win."

This stops her movement, and like flipping a switch, her shoulders are shaking. She grips his wrist in another feeble hold, but there's more strength in this one than there was the last. He lowers his hand from her mouth, and they wait in silence as the soldiers walk away.

* * *

She's quiet when they leave. She's been quiet the whole damn time, actually, and he's getting annoyed. She doesn't even swim behind him, she just sort of floats and lets him pull her like a weight.

He turns around, glaring right at her, but she doesn't respond. Maybe it's because they're underwater, and she's wearing an enchanted diving mask(he was right about that stash of equipment), or maybe it's because she's outwardly ignoring him. He can't really say for certain which it is, but if it's the latter then the gods better save her from his wrath.

He pulls them to the vent and immediately sees a problem. Namely, her inability to do anything on her own. He tried to take her back to shore when the soldiers left, but she grabbed his belts and didn't let go. It was almost subconscious, the way she held him in one hand, the way she kicked her feet every now and then, the way she pointed out the compartment that the masks were hiding in. There's no way she'll make it through the tunnel without him, especially with that arrow in her back.

But they also can't make it swimming side-by-side.

He sighs (as much as one _can_ sigh underwater) and, in a quick movement, breaks off most of the arrow's shaft. It makes her flinch, an unexpected pain that curls her fingers loosely around her knife. He takes out his own knife and slides it down the back of her jacket.

 _Boy_ , was that the wrong thing to do. As if by magic, she springs back to life, kicking away from him as the jacket floats off her shoulders and pools around her elbows. The look she gives him is indignant, as if she cares more about her jacket than her life. But then the jacket falls apart, floats to gather on either wrist, and she holds it out to him, the fight in her lost once again.

Actually, he notes as he cuts it into strips and ties them together, it's much too big for her.

When he's done with that, he signs through the water, _Can you hold this?_

She blinks, then nods, holding the makeshift rope in her good hand. Katsuki sighs, then signs, _You better not let go, after all this trouble._

She nods and tightens her grip, wrapping the jacket around her wrist and in her fingers. He starts to swim, and she drags behind him again, but it feels like she's putting in a little more effort than before.

When they reach the other side of the tunnel, Katsuki pulls her up to the surface. Too much magic in her lungs can be bad, so he pulls the mask off her face. And maybe he can get her to talk, while he's at it.

But before he even says anything, though, she has her head against his shoulder.

"Don't," she whispers. "Don't get anymore involved. Just take me to shore and I'll...I'll find a way to fix it."

He's not sure what she wants to fix, but there's no way she'll do it on her own. Especially not when she's spent, fallen asleep on his shoulder in the middle of the goddamn ocean.

Katsuki sighs yet again, hopefully for the last time that night. He scans the night sky, searching for a shadow among the stars–a shape that could easily be mistaken for a bird, but he knew better. He spots it, gliding above the castle, and lifts his hand to release four short bursts–three for his location, and one for his passenger.

* * *

Shin marches from the dock, his blood boiling. The air around him steams, melting snowflakes as they fall around him.

 _The Princess is dead._

He stops at the ring of horses, standing in the center. Where she stood.

 _The Princess is dead._

He kneels, combing the sand with his fingers.

 _The Princess is dead. This was all for nothing._

He frowns, unable to find what he's looking for, and furrows his brow.

 _Unless I can make this work._

He won't sleep well. He won't sleep at all, not until his body gives out on its own. He'll have nightmares. Red, bloody, screeching nightmares.

 _All I need is time._

He smiles when he finds it–a small gem, buried in the sand. He's not sure what it is, yet, but there are people for that.

 _Her body will surface at some point. That's all I need._

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! Please review :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Sorry about the late chapter lol**

* * *

When Ochako wakes, she is immediately nauseous. She rolls onto her side, cheeks bulging with bile, and spews right into the bed. There's nothing in her stomach after that, but still she heaves, saliva dripping from her lips and onto shaky arms.

"Not used to the sea, are we?" she hears, along with a good-natured chuckle, and it occurs to her that she just made a mess of a bed that's not her own.

"I'm so sorr-" She shoots up, apology half-spoken, then falls back onto her pillows. She only half-notices the vomit that she lands in because her head is just _swimming_. There's not one thought that can travel straight through her brain; everything in there is currently a twisting, winding labyrinth of pain and dizziness. She groans, throwing an arm over her eyes.

"Oh, come on, now." A hand rests against her shoulder and pulls her up, steadying her to rest against the wall. A bowl is pressed into her hands. "Here you go. It's just broth and bread, but I have a feeling that's all you can stomach at the moment."

Ochako looks up to find an elderly woman standing beside her, with neat pink hair and a kindly face. A white shawl is draped around her, and though she stands no taller than Ochako's hips, she exudes a powerful aura, as though she could topple a giant with barely a wave of her arm. She smiles.

"You eat, and try to keep that down. I'll go call in some other young'ins to help you bathe and such." She starts out the door, but doesn't go much farther. "The name's Chiyo, by the way. And yours?"

"Ura–" she stops, spoon halfway to her mouth, thoughts flying a mile a minute through her scattered mind.

 _Shin. The Uraraka name. Hysa castle. Betrayal. Fire and blood. Blood blood blood._

 _Shin, wearing a mask. Secret identity._

Ochako recalls the dream she had the night before her parents' death–a dream of herself, floating high above the castle, bobbing in the wind, as if the earth had no claim to her. A name floated through her mind, brought to her by both a summer breeze and a winter tempest.

"Uravity," she says, like the final nail in the coffin of Ochako Uraraka.

Chiyo purses her lips. "Sounds like a pirate's name to me." Her face softens. "But if you're not ready to share your true self just yet, we're willing to wait."

* * *

Her strength had returned with every sip of broth, every bite of bread. And though her stomach still churned like the waves, and she had to lean heavily on someone to walk about, she couldn't stand being cooped up in the infirmary. Instead she walks the ship–because that's what's she on, she realized during her bath–on wobbly legs. She tries to walk, at least, but is more being dragged around by Yaoyorozu as they tour the ship.

"This is the main deck" she says, pulling Ochako along. "Most of the crew is either here or in their rooms below. The main mast is this way, Kaminari and Kouda should be up there now. Over here…"

Ochako lifts her eyes, trailing the mast into the sky before it disappears. "I've been asleep for three days, right?" she asks, interrupting Yaoyorozu's impromptu lesson.

"...Yes," is the answer, and tears well in Ochako's eyes that she won't allow to fall. She wipes away one that does escape, then reaches into the pocket of her borrowed breeches to put it away. It was a tradition her family always held, to put their emotions away for a time better suited to exploring them. Aboard a rocking ship, sick to her stomach and on wobbly knees, in front of an entire crew of strangers is definitely not the best time for an emotional breakdown.

There won't ever be a good time for that, not until she reclaims her throne, at least. There's an inner strength she can feel, a voice inside that tells her she can't rest until then, and she's not about to disappoint it.

She tries to walk again, though she's still unsteady, she does manage a few steps _almost_ on her own, with just her hand perched on Yaoyorozu's shoulder. Yaoyorozu smiles, lifting a hand to her back, and begins droning on about life on the ship, remedies for seasickness, and other crew members–just about anything, mostly, though the gleam in her eyes says she's proud.

And then Ochako falls. Well, not really. The deck bucks beneath her, practically disappears into a shower of splinters, and she flies upwards. Yaoyorozu calls her name but is nowhere in sight. She screams, a short, shrill sound that comes in bursts. She spins through the air, direction completely lost to her, her meager meal close to coming back up.

"Sorry!" Gentle arms embrace her, resting across her shoulders and beneath her knees. She clings to the boy's collar and neck, her fingers digging into his exposed skin. When she peeks over his shoulder, they're back on the ground, at the edge of a freshly-made hole in the deck. Splinters cover the floor around it, and annoyed groans come from all around.

"Sorry!" the boy says again. "We were sparring and I just…" He laughs sheepishly, and Ochako takes the chance to get a good look at him.

 _He's very plain,_ is her first thought. His hair was dark and curly, and his face was amicably round. He looks at her curiously as he sets her down, then catches her again as she stumbles.

"I'm sorry," she mutters, "this is my first time on a ship this big."

"Ah, no worries! I was the same way!" He guides her hands to his forearms, a blush spreading quick across his cheeks as he does. His next sentence is stuttered, like he can't quite get it out right. "I-I-I… it'll f-fade eventually! Only took me a week or so to..to um…get used to it."

"Right! I hope it'll go away soon." Ochako, too, blushes at their proximity, right until someone else storms up and starts yelling at the boy. He lets her go, a light blush still dotting his cheeks.

"Uravity! Are you okay?" Yaoyorozu runs up. Her lips are swollen, and there's a cut across her nose, but she only worries for Ochako.

"I'm fine!" she assures, brushing splinters off her blouse. She gestures to the young man behind her. "He helped me."

"Midoriya," Yaoyorozu scolds, and he turns away from the crowd already scolding him. "You knew we picked up a new passenger a few days ago."

"Sorry," he says, a hand nervously rubbing the back of his neck. "I just wasn't thinking. You know how Todoroki is, though."

Yaoyorozu sighs. "Yes, I know." She peeks down into the hole, standing closer to the edge than Ochako would've liked. "Are you okay, sir?"

"Just fine, Momo." Yaoyorozu blushes, and another boy–an odd one, with red and white hair split straight down the middle–jumps up to join them on the deck. He's familiar to Ochako, but she can't quite place him. The way he looks at her, though, says he _does,_ in fact, remember her. He tilts his head and opens his mouth, probably to ask what a princess is doing this far out on the ocean.

"I'm Uravity!" she says, all smiles and laughter, like she isn't about to freak out.

The boy purses his lips, because he knows she's lying(through omission, she convinced herself), but after a nudge from Yaoyorozu, he just nods.

"I'm Shouto Todoroki. Nice to meet you, Uravity." And just like that, he turns to the other boy to discuss their training session. Yaoyorozu sighs and unbuttons the bottom of her blouse.

"Wh-what are you doing?!" Ochako squeaks, blushing and looking away.

"Covering the hole," Yaoyorozu says, as if it's the most casual thing in the world.

"With your shirt?"

"With my Gift. We can't just leave a big hole in the ship. We can get Mr. Nishiya to fix it once we return to port, but until then, this will do." She pulls a wooden plank from the skin on her stomach and lays it flat across the hole. Or she tries to, anyway. It's five feet across to the other side, and she can quite get it balanced right, and it keeps smacking the underside of the deck. "Can you go get that settled for me?"

Ochako nods and starts towards it, but stumbles, dizzy now that the adrenaline of soaring through the air has worn off. "Oh, right," Yaoyorozu mumbles, then louder, "Will you get the other end for me, Lord Todoroki?"

 _Lord_ Todoroki?

"I'll get it!" the first boy interrupts. He jumps, and in a flying leap, clears the six-foot gap. He grabs the board, then calls out, "Where's Sero?"

Can that boy _fly_?

Another boy comes over, swinging from the rigging on a rope that extended from his elbow.

"Is everyone here Gifted?"

There's a beat of silence where no one really moves, and Ochako realizes she said that out loud. "I'm sorry!" she squeaks. It's a breach of etiquette to just ask about one's Gift, and to assume someone even _has_ one is a major faux pas, especially when they don't.

But Todoroki comes in for the save, placing a hand on her shoulder and nodding to Yaoyorozu and the others. He guides her to a private place at the edge of the ship and they sit, Ochako with her head between her knees. Todoroki sits beside her, leaning against the railing.

"So where did you get that name? Uravity?" he asks. The name sounds heavy in his mouth, and it's as he says it that she hears a slight accent in his voice.

"What're you talking about?" She mumbles, words slurred by her churning stomach. "S'my name."

"It's a pirate name," Todoroki says, sure as if he knew her personally. "An alias."

"And how would you know?"

He changes the subject. "You came from Hysa Castle, didn't you? What did you do there?"

"I was an apprentice seamstress." The lie slips off her tongue easier than she would've liked.

"What happened?"

Ochako says nothing, her words dried up like a desert. But Todoroki is waiting, looking like he can see straight through her, so she scrapes them from her throat in visceral roughness.

"Ostford," she spits like she's trying to erase it from history. "They attacked the castle. Killed almost everyone inside."

"Why?" Ochako doesn't have an answer for that, but it's not like she has a chance to answer as he continues his train of thought. "It's not like Hysa is rich or powerful. Their main export is cloth, and strategically it's not a good place to start a war. In fact–"

"I don't know!" Ochako yells. "I don't know what he wants! I don't know why he-" _sniff "_ -he would _do_ something like this!" She cant cry now, so she buries her head on her knees, wiping her eyes one the fabric of her pants.

"Who?"

"General Shin," she murmurs, quiet once again. "He led the attack. Chased me to the beach through all the hidden tunnels."

"The king's brother," Todoroki whispers to himself. "And what of the King and his family?"

Ochako gasps and turns, sticking her head over the ocean to finally empty her stomach. Todoroki says nothing, but he doesn't need to. He knows the answer just from her reaction, and rubs soothing circles across her back. She keeps gasping, trying to hold back the tears.

Her body trembles as she sits back down. She takes deep breaths, eyes closed and hands to her chest.

"My condolences." She peeks through tired eyes at him. "It must have been bad when you found your parents like that."

She doesn't have the energy to deny it, and if she's honest she can't even remember the lie she told earlier. She just nods and shuts her eyes, leaning her head against the rail. "There was blood everywhere. As bright as rubies and dark as garnets…"


	4. Chapter 4

Ochako steps forward, and though she wobbles and shakes, she doesn't fall. Her nausea is gone, for the most part–it only comes when she wakes, but fades within the hour. It's been four days since she woke aboard the ship, and she's finally able to walk on her own.

Granted, she needs more time to learn the layout of the ship, but she knows it's just a matter of time.

 _If_ she decides to stay. That's kind of up in the air at the moment.

For now, though, she doesn't have a choice. They're days away from any town, and well-supplied enough to not need one for another month or so. She can't swim that long, and she isn't about to steal a boat from the people kind enough to rescue her.

 _Speaking_ of rescuing her…

She leaves her room, confident in her stride, and finds the mess hall. It's filled with people–more than she thought could fit on a ship and keep it afloat. There are so many people she has to wade through them, dodging hands that fly through the air in exaggerated gestures and heads thrown back in all kinds of laughter. She's looking for Tsuyu, a girl her age who is wise beyond her years. She's been a part of the crew since she was little, surely she'd know about the boy who entrusted her safety to them.

It takes a few minutes, but finally she spots her, cozying up to Todoroki's right side–his warmer side, if Ochako remembers correctly.

"Tsuyu!" she calls, unable to make it any closer, and when Tsuyu turns, she waves a hand.

"What is it, Ochako?" Tsuyu asks once they're in a quieter place–sitting atop the main deck in the early morning mist.

"How did I get here?" she asks. "Who brought me?"

"Katsuki," Tsuyu says, plain and simple. For some reason, Ochako thought it would be more difficult than that. "He's in the hold."

Ochako is speechless for a moment. "Can I see him?"

Tsuyu nods and stands. "He's probably awake by now. Early to bed, early to rise and all."

She holds a hand out to Ochako and pulls her up, and hand-in-hand they make their way to the bottom of the ship. It's a twisting, winding path that they take, down ladders and staircases and in some cases just plain rope. It's hasn't occurred to Ochako yet, but the ship just seems… _really_ banged up. There are scratches all along the walls, and holes that are barely plugged by planks.

 _How does this thing not sink?_ she thinks to herself. She doesn't ask, though, because before she can they've arrived at a door–they must be in the lowest level of the ship, now. A salty, musty scent permeates the air, like it hasn't seen fresh air in years, and the light is practically nonexistent. Oddly enough, she hears water splashing from _somewhere_ , and it concerns her for a moment–the ship could be sinking, and they'd never make it out from here. She almost wants to leave and make sure it isn't.

Until the door opens. She gasps, stepping into the room to get a better look. There are stairs leading down, and when she reaches the last one waves lick at her feet. Tsuyu walks in front of her, shoes discarded on the steps above. Ochako follows suit, wading barefoot through ankle-deep water.

"Katsuki!" Tsuyu calls, and there's only a splash in return. "You have a visitor!" she insists.

"I told you not to call me that, frog face!"

Tsuyu rolls her eyes and gestures to a few rocks across the way. "Katsuki's hiding over there."

"I do _not_ hide!" he yells, popping up above the boulder Tsuyu pointed to. "And if you have to say my name call me Lord Bakugou!"

Again, Tsuyu rolls her eyes and turns to Ochako. "I have to meet with Aizawa now. Will you be okay by yourself?"

"Yes, thank you. I just, um…"

"I'll come back in an hour to help you find your way back."

"Hey!" Katsuki yells. Tsuyu ignores him. "Take her with you! Don't leave her here! Tell that star-bitch I need fresh water in here!" The door closes with a click, no sign if she heard or cared what he wanted.

And then they were alone. Katsuki glares at Ochako, resting his head in his hand. "Well?" he asks. "Whadya want with me?"

"Oh! Um, to thank you, I guess?"

He scoffs. "You don't know?"

"No! No, I mean…" she takes a deep breath. "Really. Thank you. I was in…a _lot_ of trouble."

"No shit. I was there."

Well. There was a good question she didn't know she needed an answer to. She cocks her head and leans against the wall "What were you doing there?"

"Scoping out the place.

Ochako looks down, watching the water ripple away from her feet. "So y'all really are pirates?"

"Yeah. What'd you expect?"

She doesn't have an answer for that, so she asks another question. "How did you get in? I was told no one could get in or out without drowning."

His mouth pulls downward, annoyance clear on his face even from across the room. "Is everyone at the castle an idiot? Half the people on this ship could get in and out before anyone noticed. Besides, you should've seen it anyway!"

"Seen what?"

She swears Katsuki growls, then disappears behind the rock. Surprised, she steps forward, the bottom of her rolled pants legs soaking in water. She looks around, eyes and ears open. She can't see much, but she can _hear_ –she hears water dripping and splashing, and she hears wood creaking and popping.

She hears no movement, however, so it's a surprise to her when she's sprayed with water. She turns to find Katsuki sitting on the floor next to her, a shark-toothed smile spread across his lips.

"Great. Thanks." she says, completely monotone. "These aren't my clothes, you know."

Katsuki shrugs. "You need to pay more attention, round-face."

"Uravity."

"That's not your name."

"Neither is 'round-face.'"

He waves a hand. "It's good enough. You know it gets rounder when you pout, right?"

Ochako straightens her lips, then walks toward him. She squats down beside him, studying his face. Her eyes catch on his teeth–sharp little teeth in a neat little row. And then they drift down, past his chest–bared except for a white scarf and array of necklaces–to his waist and hips. His skin fades into scales where the two meet, but the belt he wears hides the exact point.

It's a tail. He has a bright red tail where his legs should be, swishing through the water. She reaches out to touch it, curious as to how it feels.

Katsuki snaps his teeth at her, startling her back to land on her bum. She shivers as the water chills her through her pants–it's winter, and the water is cold.

"How can you stand it?" she asks, and as soon as she does the water starts draining.

"Get out!" Katsuki says, shoving her away.

"What? Why?"

"Because I said so!" He can't move fast, but he scoots to the steps, pushing her towards them. The water has completely drained by now, and the room sits empty except for a pile of rocks and barrels.

Ochako freezes, then blinks. "That–" she starts, pointing, but Katsuki shoves her forward again, into the door.

"Get out!" he yells. "I'm tired."

She _hmph_ s, then marches through the door, slamming it behind her. She'll ask about the giant hole in the bottom of the boat later, then.

…

"Katsuki! What's with the hole?"

"Call me Lord Bakugo!"

"More like Baku-butt," she mutters as she walks away.

"I heard that, round-face!"

She sticks her tongue out at the door before she leaves, climbing the steps and ladders that lead to the main deck. She gets lost, of course. It's practically a maze below decks, with long hallways and plenty of empty rooms. It's only when she hears someone call out that she finally recognizes where she is.

"Oh, my!" She hears, and a pair of arms lands on her shoulders. She blinks, looking into the eyes of a wizened woman–not quite as old as Chiyo, but not all that young either. "I'm so sorry about that, dear. When Tsuyu told me Katsuki needed fresh water I just went and changed it, without listening to her fully. If I had known you were in there… and the water's freezing, too!"

"I-I'm sorry?" Ochako asks.

"The water in the hold, dear! Were you not there when I changed it?"

"You changed it? I saw it drain out of the bottom of the ship, but I was kicked out before anything else happened."

The woman's face relaxed. "Oh, thank goodness. He's such a good boy, that Katsuki."

"He's a bit grumpy," Ochako pouts.

"Ah, don't mind that. He's just stubborn." She hook her elbow through Ochako's. "Come on, those clothes are soaked. Let's go get a change for you! My name is Lucy, by the way!"

She carts Ochako back to her room, chatting away like they're long lost friends.

* * *

"It's always so smooth, you know?"

"I know. Ms. Lucy's amazing!"

"I heard the new girl was down there when it happened."

"Is she okay?"

Ochako tries not to listen to rumors or gossip–they just start needless drama and she never wanted any distractions when she was learning. But when rumors are about yourself, well, everyone's curious about that. So she listens, sipping on meager tea and chewing on plain bread.

"Bakugo didn't hurt her, did he?"

"He's probably the one that saved her. You know what happens when they change the water." A beat of silence, then, "You know! The entire bottom floor floods! If she were still in the hold she'd probably be dead now!"

Ochako stands, leaving the rest of her food on the table.

* * *

 **A/N: I won't be updating next week, so sorry in advance! Please review :)**


End file.
